Segments
by KakaIru-IsMyWorld
Summary: A collection of drabbles that are around 500 words each. ZoroxSanji yaoi pairing, though they'll be pretty tame.
1. Seasons

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Word Count:** 421

**Disclaimer:** I do not own them. Everyone and everything in One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda © (this is also the disclaimer for all ahead drabbles)

**Rating:** Hmm… I guess it's T. Or something. It's harmless, anyways, not even any kissing :)

**Warnings:** Contains yaoi/shonen-ai implications. If you don't like them, then don't read it. (Warning for all upcoming drabbles as well)

**A/N:** This is from a challenge in the onepieceyaoi100 drabble community on LiveJournal. Prompt: spring.

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Seasons

--

Spring was his favorite time of year.

Sanji was standing on the deck of the Sunny, staring out at the ocean as they sailed on. He was content to gaze and relax, not thinking on anything in particular, and just enjoying the day.

Summer was too hot and humid, and would always lead to days where no one wanted to do anything, simply because it was too muggy to move. Though, during the summer time he was gifted with the view of his Nami-san and Robin-chan in their skimpy bikinis. Not to mention secretly glancing at a certain marimo-headed-swordsman doing his katas, with sweat trickling down the large scar across his chest, as his arms rose and fell with his weights, making Sanji wish he'd packed shorts instead of the tight pants of his suit…

Well.

Winter, on the other hand, was too cold. He tried to remain in the galley for as long as possible, because he'd never been a fan of the cold. It led to having to wear a heavy jacket and gloves, so that his hands wouldn't get frostbite.

Fall had its good points, if he stopped to think about it. It was a season of change, where the leaves on the trees would shift colors, and blend from the dull brown and green they were in the summer to rich oranges and yellows, before falling off of their branches and making way for the winter. It was a time when the seas were clear and crisp, and the breeze would rush by his face along the deck, and rustle the branches of the mikan grove.

But, spring was the best. It was when the snow was quickly melting and letting the flowers come into bloom. It was the time of year when it was cool enough to remind you that there was still some snow on the ground, but it was warm enough that life was coming back into the world.

Staring out into the waves, Sanji was reminded of why he loved this season. Taking a deep breath of the sea breeze, he glanced down into the water at his feet, and a smile slowly stretched across his face. Watching his nakama swimming in the clear water and splashing each other under the warm sun, glancing at the ladies sunning on the deck, and laughing at Zoro struggling to attach floaties to their hyperactive captain so that he wouldn't immediately sink like a rock.

Sanji smiled.

Spring was definitely his favorite time of year.


	2. In The Rain

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T.

**Word Count:** 647

**A/N:** This is a small bit that was stuck in my head a while ago, and I finally let it out :D Enjoy.

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In The Rain

--

He stood on the deck, arms spread out wide, face tilted upwards, eyes closed as the rain caressed his body. It poured down him in rivulets, sliding down his face, over his chin and down his neck, stopping at his shirt. It dripped from the ends of his fingers and the tips of his hair. He stood there for a long time, reveling in the feel of the rain cascading down from the sky. Welcoming it with open arms, and simply enjoying the sensations it brought.

Sanji shook his head fondly from the doorway to the galley. He was leaning against the frame, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, still dressed in his slacks and had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hands shoved into his pockets. Looking out at the man, standing alone in the rain.

"Come back inside, Marimo. It's almost time to eat." Sanji reached behind himself to untie his apron and pulled it off. He folded it and hung it over the back of one of the chairs before returning to the doorway and looking out.

Zoro lowered his head and opened his eyes, turning to look at the cook. His eyes shone with something akin to happiness, their green depths reflecting that, for the moment, he was at peace with himself and everything around him. Only one thing was missing. He smiled slightly, locking eyes with Sanji.

"Come here, Cook." He said, affection tinting his tone, "Come stand in the rain with me." He lowered his left hand and held his right out to the blonde. Beckoned, with a twitch of his fingers.

At the sight of that smile, something pulled lightly at Sanji's heart. He grinned in return, and kicked off his shoes.

"I'll get wet, Zoro." He replied, though he removed his packet of cigarettes and his matchbox from his pockets, so they wouldn't get waterlogged.

"Good," Zoro leered, eying the cook up and down quickly, then languidly. Sanji blushed slightly, and huffed a small sigh before walking across the deck of the Sunny to join the swordsman. He was drenched instantly, but it didn't really matter. When he was within reach, Zoro pulled him into an embrace, so that they were lined up, hip to hip, chest to chest, knees knocking together. Sanji rested his forehead on Zoro's chest, and wiggled his toes in the wet grass, thrilling at the unique sensation. Every nerve in his body felt alive under the downpour, and the heat radiating off of the swordsman was bliss.

He leaned closer to the broad chest in front of him, and listened to the strong heartbeat beneath. It was soothing, and the rain was refreshing on his skin. He was lulled into a state of semi-consciousness before long, and leaned against Zoro. As they stood in the rain, the minutes trolled by without either man paying particular attention to them.

Zoro nosed the blonde head in front of him and breathed deeply. Now, he was at peace. He was content, and happy, with both his life and the man who was such a huge part of it. Looking down at Sanji's face, he saw that his eyes were closed and he looked for all the world like he could fall asleep here, in Zoro's arms, safe and content. A smile tugged at the corner of Zoro's lips, and he didn't even try to suppress it. Grinning gently down at the dozing blonde, he nudged his elbow slightly and roused him.

Blinking sleepily, Sanji opened his eyes and tilted his head up to meet Zoro's lips. They kissed softly in the rain, enjoying the atmosphere and the calm tranquility of being with each other. Eventually, the dinner bell rang and they pulled apart to get ready to meet their nakama, and hide this secret once again.


	3. Thunk

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T.

**Word Count:** 312

**A/N:** This is from the onepieceyaoi100 drabble community on LiveJournal. Prompt: boyfriend. I didn't feel like anything very serious, so I added Luffy :)

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Thunk

--

Something _thunk_-ed against the back of his head, for the fifth time in a row. Sanji gripped the handle of his knife tighter and paused only momentarily in his chopping. He counted to ten quickly in his head, taking a deep breath. Slightly calmer, he tightened his hold and resumed.

Thirty seconds passed. He counted.

_Thunk_.

Chop, chop… chop, chop, chop.

_Thunk._

Ch – chop, chop chop.

_Thunk._

Chopchopchopchop.

_THUNK._

"What the hell do you want, shitty-marimo?!" he whirled around, foot raised and ready to pound some sense into that thick skull of the man who was grudgingly referred to as his boyfriend. The _only_ reason that he had that title, was because Sanji was nothing if not faithful, and was adamant about not cheating on anyone he was with.

That's _all_. Really_._

Mid-kick, he stopped short, leaving scant millimeters between Luffy and a huge bruise.

"… Luffy? What are you doing in here?" he asked, truly confused.

Luffy blinked at him and then grinned wide enough to split his face. "Look, Sanji! Zoro gave me this cool ball, and it bounces back off of _anything_ you throw it at! Pretty neat, huh?" He brandished the small toy in the cook's face, so close he had to cross his eyes to view it properly.

Lowering his foot to the ground, he spoke to his rubber captain in a voice that Usopp had long ago labeled the 'run-away-really-fast-before-Sanji-leaves-a-shoe-print-in-your-skull' voice.

"Luffy. Why were you bouncing it off of my head?"

Luffy looked away from the bouncy ball, which he'd bounced so it was ricocheting off of the floor and ceiling, respectively, repeatedly. Sanji grabbed it mid-descent, to get his attention.

"Hmm? Oh! Zoro told me that you liked it." With a final grin he snatched the bouncy ball back and threw it out the galley door with a call of, "Usopp, catch!"


	4. Seeing Stars

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Word Count:** 293

**Rating:** T.

**A/N:** Another one for the onepieceyaoi100 drabble community. Prompt: stars. It's short, and very very very very _very_ vague ZoSan. Only if you're looking for it.

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Seeing Stars

--

By standing almost on his tip-toes, Zoro was able to reach up and grab a bottle of wine from the top rack. _By keeping it that far out of reach, it's bound to be good._ Smirking to himself, he pulled his prize back down to eye-level and uncorked it.

Before it reached his lips, something rock-hard smashed against the back of his head, which in turn rammed the neck of the bottle into his jaw. Blinking the stars out of his eyes, he spun around furiously, ready to tear into whoever just bruised his skull.

"What the _hell_ was that for, asshole?!" he growled.

Sanji sneered at him from a couple feet away, one of his frying pans held at the ready.

"That's one of my best bottles, marimo! I'm saving it for Nami-san's birthday. It'll be perfectly aged by then, and I don't want you guzzling it like common booze!" he cocked his arm back and swung the pan at Zoro's head again. Slightly more ready for it this time, he managed to dodge, only to lunge away and find his bottle missing.

"Oi – " he started, but stopped when a stocky bottle of rum replaced it.

"There. That's good enough swill for idiots like you. Now get out of my kitchen, asshole. Dinner's in less than a half hour and I still need to finish Nami-swan's and Robin-chwan's desserts." Switching into 'Mellorine-mode', Sanji swayed in place, little hearts flowing around him as he went.

Rubbing the bump on the back of his head, Zoro left the galley, muttering about 'crazy shitty-cooks' and 'frou-frou sweets' as he went.

He kept the bottle though.


	5. Night Vigil

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T.

**Word Count:** 613

**A/N:** This is just a short piece, longer than a drabble but not quite long enough for a one-shot. It was inspired by the onepieceyaoi100 prompt: exhaustion

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Night Vigil

--

Sanji was exhausted.

He finished drying the last dish and put it in its proper place. He'd been in the kitchen all night, cooking and preparing the food for the barbecue. It had been the biggest feast that he had ever cooked for, and all he wanted to do now was sleep. He pulled off his apron and draped it over the hanger and walked towards the galley door. Flicking off the light (a new invention that Franky had installed; electricity all over Sunny) after examining the room one last time to make sure everything was in its place. Satisfied, he let the door swing closed and headed towards the boys' bunkroom.

Halfway there, he remembered that he had night watch tonight, and it was probably close to his turn. Cursing quietly under his breath, he sighed and turned back towards the front deck. His feet made no sound as he tread quietly across the grass deck of the Sunny, and began to climb the rigging. Night watch had become much more bearable with the crow's nest being enclosed, and there were enough accessories up there to keep whoever was on watch occupied in during their vigil.

Sanji opened the trap door and pulled himself up, closing it behind him with a soft _thud_. He turned around and was in the process of pulling a new cigarette from his pocket when he noticed the current occupant. He replaced the cancer stick and tiptoed over to the sleeping man, deciding that he was way too tired to start a fight with the swordsman.

Zoro was snoring quietly on the bench that was used for sitting and looking out during watch. It fit snugly against the wall of the crow's nest, and he lay stretched out on it, his body curving slightly to accommodate the bend. His chest rose and fell gently with his measured breaths, and he looked for all the world like he could stay like that for… well, Sanji wasn't exactly sure how long he'd remain asleep, but didn't want to make any undue noise just in case that woke him up. For that reason, Sanji wasn't smoking, either. The pungent odor of cigarette smoke would not only wake the marimo up, but inform him as to exactly _who_ was up here with him, and a fight would undoubtedly ensue.

Sighing again, the cook settled back against the bench with a good view out the porthole. A quick scan showed that they were alone on the sea, for now at least. His gaze swept over the sleeping Zoro again, and Sanji noticed that the swordsman must have been working out, because there was still a slight sheen of sweat on his arms and his neck. He looked… peaceful. And content.

_Actually, _now that Sanji thought about it, _he looks really comfortable._ Another look outside showed no change, and he regarded the swordsman again. Debating furiously with himself for a moment, Sanji finally snatched a blanket from one of the cabinets in the crow's nest, and draped it around himself. He hesitated for about half a second, and then shrugged. With a mental 'what the hell' he casually draped himself over the sleeping marimo and settled until he was comfortable, quickly dropping into sleep.

Zoro stirred slightly with the added weight of the cook, but didn't wake. He pulled his left arm out from between the wall and his body and used it to tug Sanji closer and hold the lanky frame more comfortably against his own. Satisfied, all movement ceased and the two nakama slept on, as the first rays of dawn broke over the calm ocean stretched before the Thousand Sunny.


	6. Warmth in the Galley

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T.

**Word Count:** 814

**A/N:** This is an expanded drabble from onepieceyaoi100. Prompt: cold. Established relationship, though nothing explicit.

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Warmth in the Galley

--

Zoro woke on the grass deck, shivering, and covered in a light dusting of snow. His teeth were clattering loudly and making it impossible for him to fall back asleep. A breeze blew by and he wrapped his arms around his torso to try to warm himself up, and clenched his teeth together in an effort to stop their chattering, but it was no good. A quick glance around showed that he was alone on deck, and that it was after dark, probably close to midnight, and he'd missed dinner. Shrugging and ignoring the growling coming from his stomach from the missed meal, he hauled himself to his feet and crunched across the frozen grass to the galley door.

Once inside, he immediately began to warm up from the heat emanating from the kitchen. That room was always hot, or at least warm, and Zoro figured it was from the stove and oven being used during the day. Flicking some spare snowflakes off of his shoulders and the tips of his hair, he walked over to the walk-in pantry and, by extension, the wine rack. Digging through the layers of wines stored on it, he uncovered the sake from where Sanji had hidden it underneath a couple of almost-empty storage boxes. Smirking in triumph, he uncorked one and took a deep swig, downing almost a fourth of the bottle with a few gulps.

He heard a light scuffle and a snore, and whipped around quickly, not having realized that someone else was already here.

Over in the corner, sprawled over several bags of rice and covered in a big wool blanket was Sanji, sleeping without a care in the world. As Zoro watched, his chest rose and fell lightly in sleep, and his nose twitched slightly. The blanket had slipped so that it was only covering him from mid-torso down, and his button-down shirt had the several top buttons undone. His tie was nowhere to be found, and his shoes had been kicked off and were strewn close by.

Suddenly, Sanji shivered, and pulled the blanket tighter across his body. He cracked one bright blue eye open a sliver, and noticed that he was no longer alone.

"Z'ro? W'tcha doin' up?" he slurred, voice husky from sleep. "Why're you in the galley, anyway?" He blinked a few times, rousing himself a little more.

Zoro shrugged casually and gestured back towards the deck. "'S cold. Snowing, a bit." He took another swig from the bottle, holding it by the neck. "Didn't expect to find you in here. Figured you'd be down in the bunkroom with everyone else."

Sanji mimicked Zoro's shrug with one shoulder, and burrowed a little deeper into the warmth of the wool. "Too loud. Sounds like Luffy and Franky are competing for a prize, or something…" his voice trailed off as he took a closer look at the swordsman, noticing the bits of snow and, more importantly, the booze in his hand.

Zoro snickered, well able to imagine what that was like, because it was the reason he'd taken to sleeping outside more often. Now that they were nearing a winter island, however, he'd have to adjust his sleeping patterns, again. That is, if he ever wanted to get any sleep on the Sunny, anyways.

"Are you drinking the good sake, marimo?" Sanji questioned, more alert now that Zoro was most likely doing something he'd get to kick him for.

Zoro shrugged again, and gulped down more sake. It burned slightly as it went, and left a satisfyingly warm sensation in his stomach. He used the bottle to point at the heavy blanket, and said, "You gonna share? 'Cause it's kinda chilly out here, you know."

Sanji had apparently decided that it was too much work to pick a fight at this hour, and simply held the blanket open for Zoro, shifting over on the sacks and sitting up slightly to make room. Surprised, Zoro re-corked the bottle and walked over to the cook. This thing between them was still kind of new, and while they were more comfortable around each other, there were still some things they had yet to try.

Zoro slid under the blanket and placed the sake on the floor, laying back and getting himself comfortable. Sanji adjusted himself until he was lying halfway on Zoro's chest, with his head tucked underneath his chin, and the rest of him aligned along the swordsman's side. He relaxed, sinking quietly back into slumber, with a muffled, "'Night, Z'ro," as he went. Zoro shifted a little more and tugged the wool blanket up and over the both of them, wrapping his arms around Sanji as he did so. Enjoying the feeling of the cook's body against him, he settled down to sleep.

He sighed.

_I could get used to this,_ was his last thought before sleep overtook him as well.


	7. Old and New

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T.

**Word Count:** 742

**A/N:** Prompt from 100moods community. Prompt: nostalgia. Switched it a little to reminisce/ruminate, 'cause it fit better :D Established relationship, Sanji/Zoro.

--

Old and New

--

Sanji was standing outside and leaning against the railing, taking a smoke break. The day had been busy and long, and he was tired. He thought back to his time with Zeff, and what his life was like on the Baratie. It was interesting, but not nearly as rambunctious as life on Merry, and now on the Sunny. Sure, there'd be fights breaking out, and he'd get to kick some pirate or marine ass, but it wasn't the same. It was hectic, all of the hustle and bustle of a floating restaurant leaving little to no time for goofing off. He'd catered to a large crowd, and couldn't spare the time for individuals. There would be some days that he got almost no sleep, and others where he had nothing to occupy his time. It was different, and he was trying to decide if that was good or bad.

There weren't any rubber limbs that he needed to periodically stab in order to keep his own food, no long stories about fictitious adventures in far away lands, nor any enthusiastic amazement and hero-worship of said stories. No loud declarations of past events and intricate equipment, or spontaneous bouts of heart-felt song strummed on a tiny guitar. On the Baratie, Sanji'd occasionally had a lady to woo, and some fawning to attend to. Not that he didn't now, but it was different. He'd realized that it wasn't ladies that he wanted to charm, not anymore. And it wasn't plural, either, but one man.

It made things significantly less complicated when said man needed no wooing at all. In fact, Sanji'd hardly had to do anything at all. The feelings were there, on both sides, and had only needed to be recognized before they could be acted upon.

Taking one last drag, Sanji flicked the butt out into the blue waters of the ocean, watching as it sailed in a graceful arc before hitting the water and vanishing beneath the waves. Almost simultaneously, two warm, strong arms wrapped themselves around his waist and pulled him gently back against a firm chest. He let himself be pulled, relaxing in the protective shell his lover provided. Sanji tilted his head back until it fell on one broad shoulder, while green hair appeared on the edge of his vision as Zoro rested his chin on Sanji's shoulder. Sanji could tell that the other man had just worked out; he was slightly damp from exertion and smelled faintly of sweat. They stood together for awhile, each content just being with the other.

He could feel it when Zoro sighed, breathing deeply through his nose before a noisy exhale that shook his chest. Sanji felt more than heard the quiet words that came next.

"What're you thinking about?" the swordsman asked gently, as though almost afraid to break the ambiance that had settled around the cook. His emerald eyes were staring out into the water, gazing at nothing as he quietly took in the night.

"I was just reminiscing; comparing my old life with the one I have now." Sanji turned his head slightly so he could see Zoro's profile. "Trying to figure out which one I like better." Zoro's eyes flickered briefly towards him, then back to the sea. "It's no contest, really." He prodded, deliberately vague.

The grip around his waist barely twitched, but Sanji felt his lover's body tense. Zoro was preparing himself, just in case Sanji had changed his mind. Sanji smiled to himself, one side of his mouth turning up in a small curve, as he baited his boyfriend.

"Yeah?" He was proud to notice that Zoro's voice didn't even waver. "And why's that?"

"Because," Sanji laid his hands on top of Zoro's, pulling them closer together. "I'll miss the people I left behind, but I have a new family now. My nakama are the most important part of my life, and I wouldn't trade them for anything."

The cook smirked openly when Zoro's hold tightened and became more secure. He reached his left hand up to tangle in green hair, and hold the swordsman's head closer to his. He tilted his head to the left, his lips brushing his marimo's ear.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, baka-bushido." Sanji turned Zoro's head and kissed him, their lips meeting gently, yet firmly. Confirming something they both knew to be true.

When they pulled apart, Zoro's smile made everything worth it.


	8. Real After All

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating: **T.

**Word Count:** 595

**A/N:** Here's another drabble for all of you :) Enjoy

--

Real After All

--

At five that morning Sanji walked into the galley to get started on breakfast, and found a little black box sitting on the counter. He blinked, and did a double-take.

No change.

Blinked again. Rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands.

Still there. A small, velvet box, unadorned and elegant in its simplicity.

A thousand thoughts were running through his head, all plans for breakfast forgotten. No one knew about him and Zoro, though they'd been together for over a year. They were careful to keep it a secret, because couples like them were a danger on the Grand Line, and God knows Luffy can't keep a secret, as well as most of their nakama.

He quickly scanned the kitchen, as if to spot the perpetrator, and turned back to the counter when his search came up empty.

He crossed the space in three long strides and picked it up. It was no more than two inches wide and long, probably an inch thick. Sanji opened it slowly, sure that he was dreaming, and it was going to vanish any second now and he'd awake feeling disappointed and let down – again. He couldn't count how many times he'd had a similar dream, with a variety of different locations and scenarios.

The box opened soundlessly to reveal a slim gold band, which looked both elegant and expensive. Sanji's breath caught in his throat.

"I thought you'd like something simple, and easy to explain. Gold has always looked good on you."

He swiveled around at the voice, though he already knew who it was. Sanji'd know his lover's voice anywhere.

Zoro was half in and half out of the doorway to the pantry, partly leaning against it indifferently. Upon a closer look, Sanji could tell he was tense, as though waiting for rejection, with a slight blush adorning his cheeks. His arms were crossed on his chest, and he stood still, averting his gaze.

A slow smile started on Sanji's face as he closed the box. It shut with an audible snap, and Zoro whipped his head up to face his lover. Sanji slunk across the room and came to a stop in front of the swordsman, smirk firmly in place with one hand on his hip and the other holding the velvet box in front of him.

"Roronoa Zoro, are you asking me to marry you?" he asked, his voice just carrying across the space between them.

Zoro shuffled his feet and looked away again, looking adorably unsure. Sanji smiled, a true genuine smile, as he waited for the answer.

Another glance at his face, and then away again so fast Sanji only saw a glimpse of green.

"Yes."

Sanji's smile turned into a full-blown grin and he launched himself at his lover, wrapping his arms around the surprised swordsman's neck and embracing him tightly, pressed entirely along his body. Zoro's arms came up and surrounded the cook, holding them together as his muscles finally relaxed. Sanji pulled back slightly and kissed him, putting as much feeling as he could behind it. Zoro returned the kiss with interest, sliding his arms down and around to hold the blonde more securely, and groping his ass along the way. The cook purred into the kiss and pressed himself even further into Zoro, as though trying to make them one person. Zoro finally pulled back, and looked down into those clear blue eyes.

"So?" He asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer now.

Sanji laughed, "Yes, you big idiot" and kissed him again.


	9. Promise

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T.

**Word Count:** 716

**A/N:** This little bit was inspired by **beautifulfic**'s FMA Roy/Ed one-shot 'Home'. You can read that on her LJ, if you want :D

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Promise

--

On his way out of the galley, headed across the ship, Sanji was suddenly snagged by the shoulder of his dress shirt and tugged into the small alcove formed by the stairs meeting the wall of the kitchen, mostly hidden by the cherry tree Robin had planted. His confusion quickly dissipated when he realized that there were lips on his, and he instantly kissed back with as much passion as he could muster. There was only one person on the Sunny who'd have any reason to kiss him, and he smiled slightly. Zoro wasn't prone to surprise attacks, however, and Sanji decided he'd question his lover… once the kiss was over. For now, he wound his fingers through that short green hair, his right hand causing the earrings to chime quietly as they passed by.

Several seconds later, Zoro pulled back and looked at Sanji. He was holding him by the small of his back, the fingers of one hand spread wide, the other buried in velvety blonde locks. The cook stared back, the slight arch of one eyebrow the only sign of his curiosity, fingers still buried in green. He was wearing his blue button-up today with thin vertical black stripes, his sleeves rolled up past his elbows, no doubt so they wouldn't get in the way. His shirt was tucked into his black pants, held up with a buckle. He smelled like fresh bread and seasoning, most likely from dinner preparations. His hair was mussed from their embrace, and he had some fuzz around his sideburns and along his cheeks from his five-o-clock shadow beginning to emerge. Zoro thought that he looked amazing.

Zoro had pulled him back into the shadows, and as a result Sanji couldn't read him as well. All he knew was that he was wearing his black tank top, with his bandana tied around his bicep, black pants and that ratty green haramaki. Sanji could smell the sea breeze and a slight hint of musk, the only clues that the swordsman had been lifting his weights. After a few moments of silence, Sanji's curiosity got the better of him.

"Well?" he asked the swordsman, staring blindly into those deep green orbs. "Something wrong, marimo? You don't usually show affection like this. Not that I mind, mind you, I'm just curious. I'm kinda in the middle of dinner, you know, so this can't take too long," he tilted his head slightly to the left to emphasize, not that Zoro needed any more evidence. Despite his chiding, Sanji leaned more into the swordsman, until their bodies were flush with each other, a pose comfortable in it's familiarity. He wound his arms around Zoro's neck, clasping them together, with one hand trailing through the soft hairs at the base of the other man's neck.

Zoro shook his head side to side, the pendants ringing gently. "Iie, nothing's wrong." He brought his hands up to cup Sanji's face, and then trailed them up his arms, pulling them apart and down in front of him. Sanji looked at the swordsman's face, but could discern nothing. Zoro pulled at the cook again, bringing him further into shadow, until they were both eclipsed in darkness. He twined their fingers together on one side, Sanji's left and Zoro's right, and pulled it to his chest. He brought his left hand over and ran a gentle finger over the sliver of gold on Sanji's ring finger.

Sanji watched, mesmerized, as Zoro brought that hand to his lips and kissed the ring gently, before pulling it away again. He smiled softly, as all of the feelings from that night came back again several times over. He caught Zoro's eyes and held them for a few moments, as the swordsman drew him closer, until they were chest to chest, hands trapped between their bodies.

He saw the slight hint of uncertainty in Zoro's eyes, even before he spoke. For a stoic man, Zoro had extremely expressive eyes, if you knew what to look for.

"Mine," he said simply. Possessive, with a hint of doubt.

_I'm in love with a caveman,_ Sanji mentally smirked, a warm smile spreading across his features like dawn across the sea. Elated, he wrapped his arms around Zoro's neck and pulled him down into a kiss.

"Always."


	10. Hot Summer Days

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T.

**Word Count:** 966

**A/N:** This one jumped me today, and I just had to get it down. It's kinda cute, and also kinda pointless. Basically, it's really hot, and the Strawhats cope :D

--

Hot Summer Days

--

It was a scorcher of a day, and all Zoro wanted to do was sleep. His nakama were all around, finding their own ways to cool off and try to survive the humidity; Luffy was lying spread-eagle on the grass, with only his pants on and his hat over his face, tongue hanging out of his mouth and ice cubes rapidly melting on his chest; Usopp had undone the straps to his overalls, letting them dangle, removed his boots and was hanging over the railing, letting the sea spray hit him when it splashed high enough; Franky was in just his speedo, up in the crow's nest for his turn on watch, his hair a deflated blue curtain from the heat; the girls were in the shaded grove the mikan trees provided, wearing bikinis and soaking their feet in a makeshift mini-pool, and looked marginally better than the rest of them for it.

Chopper, that poor reindeer, was deep in the depths of the ship, where it was coolest against his fur coat. If he were to come out on deck, he'd probably stroke.

Zoro was strewn across the aft deck, under the shade from the shadow of the crow's nest. He was stripped down to his boxers after attempting to go through his katas and getting through thirty before feeling like he was going to die. It was just way too hot to do anything at all. So, he sprawled himself here on the semi-cool planking and was trying to doze. The weather would not permit it, however. He was coated in a fine sheen of sweat, and he pried one eye open a sliver and thought he could see the heat radiating off of his chest. Resigning himself to his fate, he let his head fall back to the deck with a solid _thud_ and kept his ears open for his returning lover.

Sanji had drifted off to the galley in search of something to help make the day more bearable. He'd been catering to the girls for the past hour or so, but it soon got too hot to even walk about. So, he'd been resting with Zoro, lazily drawing circles and other designs on the swordsman's chest, as Zoro fell into a doze. When the blonde got up to search, he'd roused, now wishing he hadn't. The heat was a cruel mistress, and Zoro lamented on this as he felt beads of sweat roll off of his body and onto the deck.

He had faded into something of a fitful lull when something cold, wet, and immediately sticky landed with a _splat!_ right along his scar. His eyes shot open at the sudden change in temperature in the middle of his chest, and he craned his neck to find a brown and white blob, oozing across his abs. Zoro heard a chuckle and glanced to his left to see Sanji, holding a dripping spoon in one hand and a half-empty gallon of ice cream in the other, making his way towards him.

Zoro ran a hand through the goo, streaking it across his skin in loops and swirls as it siphoned off the side of his body to the wood deck. Sanji reached him and sat down to his right, placing the tub of chocolate/vanilla/strawberry ice cream between them. It was a unique brand that they picked up in Water 7, and it had strawberry for the top layer, then vanilla in the middle, and finally chocolate on the bottom. This particular gallon tub was the last one, and Zoro remembered seeing it wedged in the back of the freezer.

Sanji spooned more vanilla/chocolate mix out and plopped it onto the growing mess of Zoro's stomach, spreading it around idly and watching the colors blend together as they melted.

"Oi," Zoro protested tiredly, closing his eyes once again. "Sticky."

"Yeah." Sanji agreed absently, "sticky." He wore a small half-smile as he shoveled more of the sweet onto Zoro. He was only wearing his shorts, despite Zoro's insistence he remove those as well, stating that wearing black in this heat was a death sentence. Sanji'd agreed, but had nothing to change into. At this, Zoro merely leered at his lover, and responded that he should just wear nothing then. This granted him a kick upside the head, which both parties immediately regretted, Sanji because of the amount of movement and Zoro because the blow coupled by the humidity had him seeing dark spots for several minutes after.

A wicked grin suddenly spread across Sanji's face, and if Zoro'd been looking he might have tried to escape. Alas, his eyes remained closed, and he missed the devilish gleam in Sanji's gaze.

Sanji put the spoon back inside the tub and shoved it to the side. In one fluid motion, he straddled Zoro's hips, scooting down so that he could easily bend forward to reach the swordsman's stomach. Zoro cracked an eye open and peered at his lover, wondering about the sudden arrangement. His curiosity soon clouded to lust, as the cook bent and trailed his tongue through the sticky mess, in one long strip from navel to chin. Zoro groaned, his member twitching slightly.

Sanji grinned and did it again, lapping at the chocolate pools that had formed on Zoro's abs. He licked up his chest over and over, sometimes straying for a while in certain spots to swirl his tongue around to gather up all of the dessert. He licked and sucked his way up his lover's body, finally reaching Zoro's lips. They shared a sugary, sticky, hot, and slightly vanilla flavored kiss, and when they pulled apart emerald green orbs glared into deeply amused blue irises.

It was probably 100 degrees and humid, and Zoro had a raging hard-on.

"I hate you."


	11. Get What You Want

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T, I think.

**Word Count:** 1155

**A/N:** This one started really small, and kinda morphed into something much larger. I had a small piece of this in mind, and it was really only a snippet without elaboration. So, here you go :) I hope you're hungry ;)

--

Get What You Want

--

Sanji sat back to survey his work, wiping his hands clean on a towel. He reached behind himself to undo the knot of his apron and tugged it off, draping it across the back of a chair. He spun back towards the counter and gazed at the now fully decorated cake.

It was a new recipe of his, and he'd had it on his mind these past few days. It was eating at him, since he'd been craving chocolate for weeks now, and he really wanted to try it out. It was an entirely chocolate cake, in every way, shape, and form. Firstly, it was a three-layered chocolate cake, with melted fudge in between each layer. Then, the main coat of frosting was milk chocolate, and thoroughly spread across the top and sides of the cake in a nice, thick layer. The cake had dark chocolate frosting decorations covering it, as well as a dribble of chocolate sauce for the final topping.

It looked absolutely delicious.

Feeling rather proud of himself, Sanji cleaned up what little mess he made and put away all of his leftover ingredients. He brought the dishes over to the sink, but just rinsed them off, not feeling like doing the dishes yet. It was mid afternoon, and he'd need to prepare dinner shortly anyways. Once cleaned up, he wiped down the counter and moved the cake over to the table, where he placed it in the middle, arranged carefully so that the light caught it just right.

Stepping back to admire his masterpiece, he smiled. The only thing left to do was taste it, and that was the best part.

He fleetingly thought of the girls, and whether or not to bring out a slice for them. His immediate answer was yes, with his inner self already shouting 'Mellorine, Mellorine!' and prepared to prostrate himself at their feet, but he paused. Walking over to the cupboard, he pulled out a few plates and laid them on the counter. He picked one of them up, as well as digging a knife out of a drawer. Once back at the table, he proceeded to cut a quarter of the cake, and then cut that into thirds.

_I'll have one first, just to see if it's good enough for the palates of my sensual Nami-san and delectable Robin-chan. It wouldn't do to serve them anything unsuitable._ Nodding to himself, he placed a good sized slice of cake onto the plate, setting the knife down on the table.

Sanji determinedly ignored the little voice in his head that was saying that nothing he created could be bad, and mercilessly squashed the one that was screaming that he just wanted a piece because he was a sucker for chocolate, and could never resist it. He'd even (though grudgingly, he admitted to himself) go for chocolate over a beautiful lady.

Maybe.

Rarely

Occasionally.

Okay _sometimes_, but _only if _he hadn't had any, for at least a month. Maybe two, but that's it. Seriously.

Picking up the plate, he walked back over to the counter, practically salivating over the thought of how his morsel would taste. Pulling a fork out of one of the drawers, he cut a bite right off of the end of his slice, and popped it into his mouth.

Sanji's eyelids slid closed in bliss, and he tilted his head back and it hit a cupboard with a solid 'thunk'. He stayed there, chewing slowly and savoring his bite, and didn't notice the galley door open and Zoro stride in, heading for the wine-racks.

The swordsman was on his way to the supply pantry and some good booze when a small noise distracted him. Turning, he looked towards the fridge and froze, jaw dropping in shock. Sanji was standing there, practically _whimpering_, and looking like he usually did post-orgasm. His face was slightly flushed, and his posture completely relaxed. Every now and then, in between bites, he'd sigh in contentment, eating the cake exceptionally slowly, so as not to miss any small bit of flavor that was possible to coax out of it.

Zoro watched him eat the entire thing, and lick the fork clean, pink tongue flashing between the prongs and getting at all of the frosting still stuck to it. The cook tossed the fork in the sink when he was done, and leaned towards his plate.

_Oh, no. He's not. He won't. He's not gonna lic – _Zoro's brain promptly stopped working as Sanji licked a long swipe straight up the plate, cleaning all of the chocolate crumbs and swirls of fudge until the plate was pristine. Up and down, in and out; Zoro stood mesmerized as he watched Sanji's tongue lap up every last bit, booze forgotten.

He finally looked away when Sanji was done, and groaned almost silently, glancing down at the tent in his pants. He was hard, and frustrated, and irrationally jealous of a piece of cake.

Sanji brushed his hands together briskly, looking around and wondering if anyone would notice if he had another piece, when he finally noticed his lover. He was about to ask what the other man was doing there, when he took a double-take, a smirk quickly spreading across his features.

"Got a little problem there, marimo?" he asked, all faux innocence and wide, blinking eyes. Zoro glared at his lover, and strode across the intervening space to pin him against the countertop.

"Yes, I do. And it's all. Your. Fault." Zoro growled, pressing their groins together and emitting a near silent moan at the contact, gripping Sanji's hips and tugging him closer still. Sanji moaned in agreement, and twined his arms up around the swordsman's neck, pulling his head down and meeting in a kiss. Tongues quickly entangled, darting around and exploring familiar mouths.

Zoro could taste the chocolate dessert on his cook, marveling at how it mixed perfectly with Sanji's taste. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and even seemed to drown out the normal tang from the cigarettes the cook was always smoking. Zoro thought it was an improvement, though he'd never voice it, knowing it would only piss Sanji off. Instead, he decided to show his appreciation another way, kissing Sanji as well as he knew how, putting as much feeling as he could behind it while his hands caressed him, eventually sliding down to cup his ass.

Sanji smiled into Zoro's mouth, understanding the unspoken message. He returned the kiss full heartedly, pressing himself even closer and running his hands along Zoro's back muscles, one hand tangling in that green hair and deepening the embrace.

_I think I ought to bake cake more often, if this is the result,_ he thought to himself smugly, as he gave himself over to Zoro and let his lover steer him down towards their room. _After all, a little something sweet every now and then never hurt anyone._


	12. Night Sky

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** PG.

**Word Count:** 897

**A/N:** This is just a short piece with Sanji and Zoro stargazing :) Enjoy.

--

Night Sky

--

Sanji woke up one night with a start, realizing that something was missing. He quickly noticed the lack of heat in the hammock, and wondered where Zoro went. They'd only recently started sharing a hammock, because they (Sanji, mostly) had been worried about what the rest of the crew would think of their relationship. They still hadn't told them, and were kind of just waiting for one of their nakama to notice on their own. It was mostly in the little things: Zoro had left the couch, where he tended to spend most nights after his watch, and joined Sanji in his hammock; Zoro's sword oil and clothes were mixed in with Sanji's things in the dresser in the mens' bunkroom; Sanji and Zoro's chores tended to be split between the two of them, and they weren't really sure whose were whose anymore. They'd also been spending a lot of time with each other, doing simple things or just relaxing together. They still fought regularly, because they would probably never stop pissing each other off, but now you could usually find Sanji nearby during one of Zoro's frequent naps, always there. Regardless of whatever else he was doing, he remained close by.

Getting up as quietly as he could, so he wouldn't wake any of the other guys, Sanji walked barefoot across the cabin, stopping only to grab a t-shirt from one of the hooks along the wall. Pulling it on as he went, he wandered into the hallway in shirt and boxers, and down to the kitchen. Poking his head in the galley, he quickly took stock. Nothing was missing, and everything was where he'd left it after dinner. Walking over to the pantry, he looked inside and saw that all of the good wine was still there, and even the booze he'd set aside for Zoro from the last port was untouched. With a mental shrug, he closed the door and went out onto the deck.

It was well into the summer, so the weather was pleasantly cool at night. Looking up, Sanji scanned the sky and gazed at the bounty of stars across the inky blackness. The moon was out tonight, and off a little to Sanji's left. He looked at it for a while, taking in the features, the dips and grooves that he could make out. It was a great night for stargazing, had he been one to do so.

Dropping his gaze to the deck, he looked around for the tell-tale green of his swordsman. Trailing his toes through the crisp grass, slightly coated in dew, he paced the length of the deck and climbed the stairs. Once there, he finally saw Zoro.

Zoro was lying flat on his back, arms out, and legs splayed across the deck. He was wearing his black tank top and boxers, and hadn't bothered with any shoes either. He was looking up into the sky, his eyes flickering back and forth across it's expanse lazily, as though he were lost in thought.

Heaving a quiet sigh, Sanji padded over to his lover, sitting down next to him with his arms propping himself up, knees spread apart. Leaning back, he followed Zoro's gaze and took in the night sky once again. Not noticing what had captured Zoro's attention, he looked back down at his lover and was entranced at how he could see the stars reflected in his emerald eyes. Taking him in for a moment, the cook finally spoke.

"What are you looking at, Zoro?" He spoke softly, without really knowing why.

Deep green flicked over his features for a second, and he was pleased and surprised, as always, at the warmth and affection in them. With a small smile on his face, Zoro said nothing and returned his gaze to the stars.

Mutely mimicking him, the cook huffed a quiet, frustrated sigh when he noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Staring upwards for a few more seconds, he glared back down at Zoro, pulling in a breath to get ready to suggest they go back to bed, when Zoro finally spoke.

"Look again, Sanji." His voice was slightly hushed as well, quiet and calm. When he refused to look away from the sky, Sanji lay back and got himself comfortable, figuring that they might end up sleeping out here. Stretching out his long legs, he draped them over Zoro's so that their calves were touching, and the back of Sanji's knees lay over the swordsman's kneecaps. Once he was relaxed, the cook looked to the sky once again.

They lay like that for several minutes, and Sanji was just starting to doze when he saw a streak of light. Blinking himself awake he stared intently upwards, and was elated when he saw it again. With a rush of recognition, he realized it was a shooting star. He broke out into a grin that stretched across his face as he turned towards Zoro.

Zoro's smile widened, and he glanced sideways at his cook. Sanji smirked ruefully and shifted over, so that they were lying shoulder to shoulder, and folded himself neatly against Zoro. Zoro wrapped an arm over and around Sanji's shoulders, and rested his chin on the cook's head, smiling into the blond locks.

"Yeah, yeah, just shut up." Sanji groused, grinning into Zoro's neck.

Zoro smirked. "Told ya." And pulled Sanji closer.


	13. Payback

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** T.

**Word Count:** 1446 (erm… oops?)

**A/N:** This one is kind of a sequel to 'Hot Summer Days' and is way longer than it was supposed to be. My bad :) It's established-but-secret ZoSan.

--

Payback

--

Wiping his hands off on a towel, Sanji strode over to the galley door and rang the bell.

"Time to eat, you assholes!" he called out to the rest of the crew out on deck. It was around noon on the Sunny, and he'd just finished making lunch. He turned back around and started on special drinks for the ladies.

"Woo-hoo! Food!" Luffy cried from his position on the side of the boat with Usopp. They'd been fishing because they were almost out of meat, something that had Luffy in tears, and had caught several large specimens to add to the tank sometime earlier. The seas were quiet now, though, and Usopp had been telling an engaging lie to a wide-eyed Chopper and Luffy, complete with embellished hand waving and words that weren't in Luffy's dictionary.

At the bell, Luffy dropped his pole, where it landed in the water with a loud splash, and charged towards the galley. Chopper let out a high-pitched yell, running around in circles as Usopp attempted to fish it out of the water with his pole. A few minutes later, a sopping wet Usopp trudged into the galley, followed by a less-panicky Chopper, the sharpshooter holding both fishing poles and glaring for all he was worth at their captain.

Sanji looked up momentarily from garnishing the drinks with lemon slices, dismissed it as the normal behavior it was, and didn't warn Luffy ahead of time. He just picked up the platter and swept out of the way.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow-owww! What was that for, Usopp?" Luffy wailed, clutching at his head.

"You dropped the pole _again_, Luffy! How many times do I have to tell you – " As Usopp went off on his long explanation about taking care of your tools properly (that went in one of Luffy's ears and straight out the other), the rest of the crew piled in.

Sanji came back inside, with the girls following a minute later, and everyone praised his cooking skills, which he accepted gracefully, only mildly disgusted at Luffy talking with his mouth full (basically a normal occurrence, he'd come to notice, and hence ignored).

About halfway through, Zoro abruptly stood up with a grunted "Need more booze" and walked towards the pantry. Shrugging it off, with only a mild reprimand not to drink the good wine, Sanji went back to his food, leaning against the counter while he ate. After a few minutes, and no sign of Zoro, Sanji put his plate down on the counter and walked over to the storage closet, to see what was keeping him. He waved away Nami's concern and nodded to Franky's demand of "More Cola, cook-bro!"

He reached the door and poked his head in.

"Oi, marimo, you get lost?" he smirked, preparing for the outburst sure to come.

When no reply came, he frowned slightly and took a few steps in. Zoro hadn't turned on the light, and so it was almost pitch black inside, because there were no windows. Cocking his head slightly, he called again.

"Shitty-swordsman, what's taking you so long? Did you forget which way was out?" Sanji took a couple more steps inside, squinting around behind the boxes as best he could with what little light there was.

The light tapered off to just a sliver, as the door closed almost all the way.

The cook turned back towards it, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, real mature, Zo – mmmpph!"

A tongue, soft and wet, plunged into his open mouth as he was propelled back into one of the racks behind him. His arms came up instinctively and Sanji gripped broad shoulders, his fingers twisting into fabric. He kissed back, giving as good as he got, and pressing himself up against the swordsman. Closing his eyes, Sanji relaxed and enjoyed the assault, pulling at Zoro's white shirt, tugging it up out of his pants, wanting to feel his skin.

Pulling back from the kiss, Zoro smirked, what little light there was falling across his face in a thin line, giving it an almost ethereal quality. He smirked at the cook, and tugged his shirt off. Sanji immediately latched his lips on the junction where the swordsman's neck met his shoulder, and Zoro tipped his head back with a groan. Grinning, Sanji mouthed up that strong neck, stopping randomly to nip and suck as he went. Zoro barely held in his moan when Sanji found his sweet spot, about halfway up his neck.

Sanji slid his hands across the large scar on Zoro's chest, feeling out the dips and grooves left from the healed wound. He pulled his mouth down to the bottom of the scar, down by Zoro's right hip, and licked a solid line straight up it in one go.

Zoro had to bite down on Sanji's shoulder to muffle the sound that emerged, something between a whimper and a moan, leaving marks even through Sanji's dress shirt. He lifted his head and glared half-heartedly at the cook, who grinned back unrepentant. Zoro leaned in and wiped the smirk of Sanji's face, covering his mouth with his own.

Sanji stretched his hands up into Zoro's hair, gripping the short strands and tugging him closer. He ran one of his hands through it, trailing down to the nape of his neck, tickling the sensitive hairs there. Zoro squirmed slightly, and pushed closer still, molding himself along the cook's body.

Sanji opened his mouth wider and pressed his tongue into Zoro's mouth, meeting the other's and wrapping around it, tugging slightly and eliciting a half-moan from the swordsman. He trailed his fingers down from Zoro's head, and along his back, reveling in the smoothness that was probably the only part of the other man's body that wasn't scarred. Sanji fingered the waistband of Zoro's pants, pulling them slightly away from his body before letting them snap back again.

Zoro pressed himself into Sanji, feeling the unmistakable hardness of the cook's hard-on through both their pants, ignoring the fact that he was in pretty much the same condition. He ground himself into Sanji's strong thigh, groaning at the perfect pressure against his erection. The cook's answering moan made him smirk, remembering that he'd had a purpose to this surprise molestation. Not that he was against molesting the cook unexpectedly, mind you, but Zoro had a plan for this particular encounter.

Quickly hiding his grin, Zoro trailed his fingers up Sanji's neck, tangling them into his hair and gently massaging, rubbing the tips of his fingers back and forth. He knew that he'd hit the jackpot when Sanji stiffened, and then seemingly _melted_, draping himself across Zoro's body, an almost silent groan erupting involuntarily. With a slight smirk, amusement dancing in his eyes, Zoro brought his other hand down to Sanji's hip, slipping underneath his shirt and pressing right along the hipbone. Sanji went boneless, making a small noise of contentment and smiling up at Zoro.

Zoro almost stopped, seeing the clear affection and love in those blue orbs. It surprised him every time, how much Sanji cared about him. Feeling something inside his chest expand, ever-so-slightly, he swallowed and met that gaze, trying to convey how he felt in that look.

It seemed that he succeeded, because Sanji's smile grew, and Zoro's brain started up again. He smothered a smirk that threatened to cross his face and slid the hand that was cupping the cook's hip down to the front of the other man's pants, cupping the hardness there. Sanji gasped, doubling over slightly at the contact, and moaning into Zoro's neck. Wetting his lips, the swordsman grunted quietly and smiled into Sanji's neck, pressing harder and enjoying the feel of the blonde's lean body arching into his own. Rubbing with increasing speed and pressure, Zoro felt more than heard Sanji's noises of pleasure as they rumbled through his chest.

Just as the blonde was reaching his climax, Zoro pulled back.

"Wha – Hey – Zoro! What the hell?" Sanji hissed, glaring at the swordsman. Confused, he watched the other man back away from him, tugging his shirt back on as he did so.

Fully dressed again, Zoro just smiled and walked towards the door. He turned back and grinned at the cook, taking in his disheveled appearance and kiss-swollen lips with a satisfied smirk.

"Serves you right, cook." He said, pulling the door open all the way. "That's what you get for making me hard in 90 degree heat. Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" With a fake salute and a wink, Zoro strutted out of the pantry, ignoring his own erection straining in his pants.

Yeah. No one messes with Roronoa Zoro.


	14. Hidden Perspective

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** PG

**Word Count:** 212

**A/N:** ZoSan as seen by another. Quick drabble from the onepieceyaoi100 comm on LiveJournal. Prompt: First Person Narrative/Perspective.

--

Hidden Perspective

--

I watch.

I watch as they dance around, trading insults and blows like it's an everyday thing. Which it is, really; they snipe and growl and glare, but only when people are watching.

I watch, and I wonder. I wonder why they put up the pretense, because surely everyone must know. Surely this is something they cannot hide, no matter how hard they try.

Because late at night, they are different. Zoro is gentler, and Sanji is less abrasive. They are comfortable around one another, and its so painfully obvious what they are, that I find it difficult to imagine it has ever been different, regardless of the fact that I bear witness to their brawls in the daylight.

I watch, and I imagine. What must it be like, keeping this a secret? I know that for Sanji it is harder, because of the front he keeps for 'his ladies', doting and fawning, aiming to please. But Zoro is withdrawn as a part of his nature, and so when no one asks, he doesn't tell.

I watch them now, across the deck, sitting underneath the mikan grove. Zoro is leaning back, legs spread as Sanji settles back between them, relaxing against the other. It's routine; it's easy; it's perfect.

And I watch.


	15. Here, Kitty Kitty Kitty

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** PG.

**Word Count:** 1293

**A/N:** Established ZoSan again. A cat stows away on the Thousand Sunny :D

--

Here, Kitty Kitty Kitty

--

"Meow."

Sanji stopped, puzzled, and peered around. He stood in the middle of the pantry, glancing around for the source of the noise.

"Meow."

Turning quickly, he saw a flash of white and brown, as the tip of a tail vanished around one of the boxes. Surprised and curious, he rubbed at his eyes, and tried to tell himself that he was imagining things.

A few minutes ago, the cook had woken up from a sound sleep with the munchies. Getting out of the hammock he shared with his lover as quietly as he could so he wouldn't wake the slumbering swordsman (getting tangled in the ropes anyway, and cursing when he ended up sprawled on the floor), he had padded down the hall in his boxers and one of Zoro's extra shirts. Knuckling the sleep out of his eyes, he had made it to the kitchen without much incident (getting slobbered on by a hungry, sleeping rubber-captain not withstanding). He went straight to the back, where the snacks were hidden. Since Luffy usually grabbed whatever was set out to eat, or what was readily available in the fridge, it was easy to hide the rest in the pantry.

Now he wasn't sure if he was entirely awake. Blinking to himself, he walked closer to the crate in question, and peered over the top.

Sprawled on the deck, paws fully extended and in the middle of a stretch, was a black kitten, with white paws and streaks of brown fur mingled with the solid black of its body. The ears were white at the tips, and it's muzzle was a black and white blend. It blinked innocently up at Sanji, who blinked back.

Realization hit, and two things happened at once. Sanji woke completely, and leapt for it and it jumped up and ran pell-mell for the door. Chasing it around the room a couple of times (and stubbing his toes on almost every box in the room), he finally had it cornered in one of the corners of the pantry, between several bags of rice and some crates of spices.

He advanced slowly, panting slightly, and it's hackles raised; tail stiff in the air, back arched and hissing to complete the picture. Smiling softly, Sanji crooned quietly to it, crouching down so that he wasn't so menacing.

"It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. Come on, come here pretty kitty." He made clicking sounds with his tongue, holding one hand out for the kitten to sniff.

Slowly lowering its guard, but still wary of him, the kitten hunched lower to the floor, its back legs tensed and ready to spring. It stretched its neck so it was closer to him, nose sniffing the air and trying to determine if he was still a threat.

Sanji, for his part, was holding his breath, waiting to see what would happen next. He'd seen a couple of cats when he was on the Baratie; they were quite useful to have around, and would rid the ship of rodents. But some sailors were scared of them, and thought that having a cat aboard was bad luck. It was an ongoing debate between the cooks of the Baratie. Some thought that it was a bad omen, and others believed it to bring good luck. Regardless of which was true, young Sanji befriended one of the strays on board and Zeff decided he could keep it. Delighted, he'd played with it almost every day, and it was practically always hanging around him. It was an old cat though, and died just a few months later.

Cooing quietly to the black kitten, Sanji edged slightly closer and froze, watching it sniff at his hand. Curling his fingers, he was delighted when it took a couple of steps closer, following the movement. He stretched his hand out over its head, bringing it down to pet it. Flinching minutely at first, the kitten relaxed into the gentle touch, and began to purr as Sanji stroked down its back.

Smiling gently, he continued to pet it, chuckling quietly when the rumbling purr just got louder, and scratched behind one ear. The kitten pushed against his touch, seeking more contact. Grinning, Sanji obliged.

Suddenly, the door opened with a muffled 'bang' as it bounced off of the wall. Startled, Sanji jerked and whipped his head toward the noise, but the kitten's reaction was much more explosive. It let out a high-pitched and terrified 'meow', launched itself up and over the mountain of crates nearby, and bolted towards the door and off to another part of the ship.

Scowling, Sanji stood up to glare at the culprit. A slightly stunned looking Zoro, still rumpled from sleep and in just his boxers, blinked back at him before breaking out into a yawn.

"The hell was that?" He asked sleepily. Stumbling across to Sanji he draped himself over his lover, with his head hanging down over one shoulder, arms dangling uselessly in front of the cook.

Huffing a slightly frustrated sigh, Sanji shifted a little to better support the swordsman. Earrings chimed softly together as Zoro's head rocked with the motion. "It was a slightly less terrified kitten, but now it's probably a shaking ball of fur in the crow's nest, thanks to you. What are you doing in here, anyway?"

Sliding his arms back and around the cook, Zoro hugged the other man to him, enjoying the feel of Sanji in his arms. Pressing a light kiss to the cook's temple, he answered. "Nothin'. Was just cold. Better now, though." He nuzzled into Sanji's neck. "Bed."

Rolling his eyes, Sanji smiled fondly at his lover, knowing that it took him a little while after waking up to form complete sentences. He brought one of his hands up to his waist, twining his fingers in with Zoro's, and feeling the metal band there. He looked down at their fingers, rings twinkling in the lantern-light, and tipped his head back to rest on his swordsman's shoulder.

They stood like that for a moment or two, just enjoying the quiet, until Zoro tugged on their joined hands, motioning to leave the pantry. He untangled himself and pulled the cook out into the galley, pausing only so Sanji could put out the light.

They made their way back, Zoro grumbling about how tired he was, and Sanji sniping good-naturedly that he wasn't complaining during their earlier activities. Zoro growled and semi-tackled the other man when they reached the bunkroom door, and Sanji snuffled a laugh into Zoro's neck as they hit the deck with a 'thump'. Looking around quickly, they checked that none of their nakama had woken up, and Sanji pulled Zoro to his feet. They tumbled down into their hammock, all tangled limbs and laughing kisses. Eventually, Sanji righted them so he was along Zoro's side, half on top of the swordsman, and snuggled down into his shoulder. Sighing, he followed Zoro into sleep.

Poking his nose into the room, the black kitten padded silently across the planking, following the scent of the kind human. He wrinkled his nose slightly when the smell mingled with the louder human, but decided that he didn't mind so much. He had already smelt the loud one on his human before; it was just stronger now. Resigned to the fact that they were obviously mates, he decided to just ignore the noisy one, and jumped lightly on top of the two sleeping forms. Curling up on the broad, tan chest, he cuddled over to his human, laying so that his body was stretched along the kind human's stomach where it met the loud one's. Satisfied, a low, rumbling purr emanated from his body as he relaxed with his new friend.


	16. Morning Rituals

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** Um, PG. I know, I know… it seems like it'll stay with these low ratings, but I promise that when I get more comfortable writing smut, the rating for any of those fics will go up ;) Eventually, anyways

**Word Count:** 784

**A/N:** This one has the reappearance of the kitten, who still doesn't have a name. I'm up for suggestions if you feel like it, because I'm horrible at naming things. Anyway, this one is about mornings with Zoro and Sanji, and daily rituals for them. Another piece of fluff from yours truly.

--

Morning Rituals

--

Sanji woke up around five in the morning, stretching lazily and blinking as he yawned. He slipped out of the hammock as quietly as he could, pausing to lay a gentle kiss on his lover's head before leaving. The kitten, which they still had yet to name, mewed quietly in his sleep and rolled himself into the spot Sanji vacated, completing the motion by tucking his tail in around his body. Smiling at the small creature, the cook petted him gently, stroking along his back and rubbing the top of his head. A muted purr came from the furry ball, and Sanji chuckled.

Slipping on his shoes, he pulled on a clean shirt from the dresser and buttoned it up, fingers moving automatically through years of long practice. He tucked it into his pants and put on his belt, running a hand through his blonde bangs before stepping softly past his snoring nakama to the galley.

Stifling another yawn, he pushed the door open and wandered to the counter. Slightly more awake now, but still moving mostly on auto-pilot, the cook pulled out ingredients that he'd need for breakfast, turning on the stove and readying his pans. Seconds later the sound of eggs sizzling could be heard around the kitchen, followed closely by the smell of bacon.

Around five thirty, the swordsman stirred. Zoro woke up slowly, blinking a couple times as he rubbed his palm over his eyes. Suddenly, a large yawn broke across his face, and he stretched himself out along the empty hammock, hearing joints crack and pull. He looked around, unsurprised that he was alone. Well, almost alone, anyway. Bemusedly, he glanced down at the young kitten who was currently trying to burrow into his side, cold nose poking at his ribs and little paws bumping against his skin. Smiling softly to himself, he shook his head slightly and rolled to get out of the hammock, his feet hitting the floor with a soft 'thud'.

Unlike his lover, Zoro didn't bother getting fully dressed. He pulled his pants on over his boxers and strode to the door, dodging rubber limbs and ignoring the half-muttered monologue of some grand adventure or other. As he passed Chopper, he laid a hand on the little reindeer's head, stroking it gently before passing through the doorway.

He padded down the hall and over to the galley, mainly getting there by smell, still blinking sleep away and occasionally knuckling his eyes. He reached the door to the galley and palmed it open gently, letting it swing shut behind him.

Sanji was humming quietly to himself, mixing up batter for pancakes as he finished up with the bacon. He already had a large pile to the side; bacon, eggs and toast piled high on platters, prepared for a normal breakfast with the Mugiwara Crew. Removing the whisk from the bowl, he turned down the heat on the burner and poured, guiding the mixture with his spatula. Placing the bowl back on the counter, he reached over and picked up the cinnamon, adding a dash to the pancake that was beginning to form.

Zoro stepped up behind the cook and slid his arms around his waist, pulling the other back against his chest. Sanji's humming changed it's pitch, going from slightly upbeat to slow and rhythmic, until it finally stopped altogether. He leaned back into the swordsman's embrace, closing his eyes and tilting his head so it rested against Zoro's, who laid his chin on Sanji's right shoulder. For a few minutes they stood like that, Zoro gently running his hands down and across Sanji's chest, the cook sighing and swaying gently with his lover to an imaginary beat.

Zoro turned his head and placed a soft kiss to Sanji's temple. Sanji put down his spatula and turned in the swordsman's arms until they were face to face. He gazed into his lover's eyes, lazy and at half mast, before leaning in for a kiss. Zoro's lips opened easily under his, familiar and unhurried. They stood there, with Zoro's hands on the cook's hips, and Sanji's tangled in green hair.

The swordsman finally pulled away, leaving one last peck on Sanji's lips before disentangling them and heading for the door. His fingers slid against the cook's hips as he left, squeezing gently and Sanji's trailed down his shoulders before sliding off and back to his sides.

Zoro treaded across the grass deck, headed towards the crow's nest to collect his weights and relieve Brooke of his watch before beginning his morning workout.

Inside the galley, Sanji flipped the pancake high up into the air, only to catch it in the perfect center of a new plate.


	17. Darkness

**Author: **KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** R. Death and blood ahead. You've been warned.

**Word Count:** 561

**A/N:** I really didn't mean for it to turn out like this. I have no explanation for why I wrote it. Anyway, gore and violence in this, so don't read if you're squeamish.

Everyone has their fears. His was bloodier than he thought it'd be.

--

Darkness

--

He sat and stared.

Red. Red everywhere. It coated the walls and dripped thickly from the ceiling, landing on the floor in sickening _splats_, fewer and further between as time dragged on. Gazing around, all he saw was red.

He never knew a person could hold so much blood.

Spinning his torso, he looked behind him, out the door and down the hall. Dreading what he'd find, he mechanically got up and trudged toward the cabin. His feet felt like lead weights, and each step was painfully heavy and loud. His breathing sped up, and his legs moved of their own accord.

Down the hall, turning to the door. Swallowing thickly, he pushed it gently open and peered inside.

The room was trashed, with items of clothing thrown about, and inventions smashed to spare parts. Medical journals littered the floor, pages ripped out and seams torn. Personal belongings were destroyed beyond recognition, and drawers were turned inside out.

Looking around, all he saw was more blood. Clothing was stained red, some still dripping in places, and the walls had streaks of spatter. He moved forward, but stopped when his foot landed on something soft, and yielding. Not wanting to look down, but unable not to, he slowly craned his neck to the floor.

_Oh, god no, nononononononono – _

A pile of guts, slimy and sticky, still wet and giving. He yanked his foot out, and it made a sucking sound as it escaped. Scanning the floor, he saw a straw hat a couple of feet away, as well as a hoof and several fingers. Gagging, he lurched backwards, kicking something with his heel. Dreading what he'd find next, he whipped his head around and stared down, hand held firmly over his mouth.

A head. More specifically, Zoro's. The earrings chimed quietly as it rolled to a stop against the wall.

He flinched and choked, screwing his eyes shut and holding in a scream. Doubling over, he heaved, his entire body shaking and trembling and –

Jolting upright, Sanji barely held in his shout, staring at nothing and shaking like a leaf. His breathing was labored, sweat pouring down his face and across his back, his eyes streaming tears. Desperately, he looked around the bunk room, finding his sleeping nakama in the dark and mapping their bodies with his eyes. Half sighing, half sobbing in relief, he counted them all there. Rubbing a hand across his face, he tried to scrub away the last vestiges of the nightmare.

To his side, Zoro was sleeping calmly, one arm slung around Sanji's waist. The kitten was lying on Zoro's chest, curled up tightly into a ball, his head held up inquisitively to blink at the cook, cracking a large yawn. He mewed softly, and Sanji reached out with a still trembling hand to stroke him. Immediately, he began to purr, a deep, rumbling sound that soothed his nerves.

Now calm, Sanji could barely recall the dream. It came in bits and pieces, and was slipping away quickly. Giving himself a shake to get rid of the fear, he took several deep breaths and lay back down next to the swordsman, who immediately adjusted to him being there by pulling him snug against his body again.

Smiling slightly at how possessive Zoro was, even in his sleep, Sanji allowed himself to be pulled back into slumber.


	18. Masterpiece

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** PG

**Word Count:** 988

**A/N:** This is a little piece for Zoro's birthday, November 11. Mostly told from Usopp's point-of-view. Fluff, of course.

--

Masterpiece

--

There had been a party, of course. Cake and ice cream, a large variety of sweets and treats, some of which were Sanji's original concoctions. The obligatory slab of meat for Luffy ("Eew, Luffy. _Meat?_ With _cake?!_ How could you?!") and booze for the birthday boy. How Zoro could down that stuff with a piece of chocolate frosted cake in one hand was an absolute mystery to Usopp. But, drink it he did. Almost the entire keg by himself.

Sighing, Usopp leaned over the railing in the crow's nest, resting his chin on his crossed arms as he stood watch. Looking across the ocean at dusk was something of a pastime for him, and he tried to get that watch whenever he could. The way the sun hit the water as it was passing over the horizon was an image he'd been trying to catch for a couple of weeks now, bringing up his paints and canvas to practice. The brilliant oranges, yellows, purples, blues, and grays of every spectacular sunset on the Grand Line was something special, and called to him like nothing had in a long while.

Smiling softly to himself, he pushed off of the rail and dove for his kit, pulling it out and setting it up with the ease of long practice. Picking through his brushes, he found one of his favorites. It was elegant in its simplicity, long and thin, with fine bristles that helped him craft every detail. It had been a present from Kaya before he left, and remained one of his most precious possessions. Running the bristles across his fingers, he watched them spread out and come back together again flawlessly. Turning to his paints, he pulled out his supply of blues and oranges, mixed with some blends he'd created earlier and began to paint.

About fifteen minutes in, the sun was at the exact spot for capture. It was on the very edge between setting and completely down. Knowing he had a limited window, Usopp reached for the cup of water and frantically cleaned his brush, before dipping it into a color blend and adding to the canvas. With long, smooth strokes he began to bring nature to life.

With constant checks for reference at the sunset, Usopp kept on, barely pausing except to adjust parts to fit the natural image, his fingers and forearms getting streaked with paint residue while he worked. Tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration, his eyes flitted up and down, back and forth as his painting took form.

Out of the corner of his eye, Usopp saw some movement that made him pause, brush in mid-stroke. Over by the railing, down on the deck stood the man of the hour, leaning back and gazing out at the same sunset Usopp was caught up in. Unlike the sharpshooter, Zoro was calm and peaceful, a small smile quirking up one corner of his mouth. He looked… content, sunlight glinting off of his earrings as it faded into the sea.

Usopp's fingers itched.

Putting the brush in the water glass, he snagged his sketch pad and charcoal and got to work. Swift, sure strokes mapped out his nakama's features, creating scratching sounds in the otherwise silent surroundings of the crow's nest. Usopp's eyes flickered to the swordsman and back to his pad, over and over, as he filled the page.

A flash of gold made him shift his gaze to the right a bit, and he found Sanji coming up the deck. The cook reached his nakama and stopped a couple of feet away, though closer than Usopp would have dared. Maybe Zoro's peaceful mood made him braver? Usopp shrugged, but barely paused.

Upon hearing Sanji's footsteps, Zoro cocked his head to his left, earrings chiming near-silently as he acknowledged the other man. Sanji said something quietly, but Usopp was too far away to hear it. Zoro laughed and ducked his head, reaching out and pulling the blonde towards him, enfolding him in an embrace.

Slightly shocked, Usopp watched as Sanji chuckled and let himself get wrapped up with the swordsman, leaning forward to nuzzle into his neck. Zoro's arm fell possessively around the cook's slim waist, tugging him closer still. Sanji leaned up and whispered something into his ear, and Usopp strained forward impulsively, though he had absolutely no chance of overhearing from this distance.

Whatever he said caused Zoro to break out into a full-blown smile. Usopp's jaw dropped; it wasn't a smirk, or a grin, but an honest-to-God _smile._ It made the swordsman look… happy. His quick mind began putting the pieces together. All sorts of clues and incidents that had happened over the past few months suddenly slid into place, and everything made sense.

Looking down at his sketch pad, he continued, now adding another figure to the picture. This second person was leaning into the first, his body neatly ensconced within the other, fitting as though he belonged.

And he did.

Looking down at his nakama, Usopp felt that he understood now. Zoro held Sanji like he was something delicate, something special. But at the same time, he was held by Sanji in the same way. They stood there, tucked against the rail and looking out at the fast-fading sunset with the easy familiarity of two long-time lovers.

Glancing out at the sun, Usopp dropped his gaze back to his pad, and smiled. His masterpiece could wait until another day.

Below, Sanji leaned slightly away from Zoro, reaching up and tilting the swordsman's head towards him. Zoro went willingly, looking into Sanji's eyes and smiling softly; fondly. Sanji echoed that smile, and curled his long fingers around the back of that tan neck and kissed him, carding his fingers through Zoro's hair.

Usopp settled back for the remainder of his watch, a huge grin on his face, speaking softly into the night.

"Happy birthday, Zoro."


	19. Of Weddings… and Funerals

**Author: **KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** PG.

**Word Count: **580

**A/N:** This one is just a little snippet, sorta related to the one following it and 'Masterpiece'. My poor attempt at humor, so beware.

--

Of Weddings… and Funerals

--

Sanji was ready to kill himself. He resisted the urge, and restrained himself to simply allowing his head to fall down onto the thick wood table with a solid 'thunk'.

At the sound, the other occupants of the galley looked up at him, seemingly surprised at his reaction.

"Sanji-kun?" Nami questioned, glancing curiously at him from the end of the table. "Something wrong?"

Lifting his head was a huge effort, and something that, in other circumstances, he mightn't have done at all. However… "No, not at all, Nami-san." His geniality was seriously strained today, however. "Why do you ask?"

Nami and Robin shared a dubious look, before Robin answered for her nakama. "Well, Sanji-san, normally you're not one of the crew who tend toward self-harm. Is there something on your mind?" Her melodic voice rang across the cabin, and instead of his usual ecstatic reaction it just made him want to slam his head back down again. Harder. As many times as was necessary in hopes of causing brain damage so that the last hour and a half wouldn't have occurred. How many times would it take?

Groaning, he let gravity do it's work, again. _Thud_. Muffled moan. Again. _Thud._ Again.

_Thudthudthudthudthudthud! _

The girls, it seemed, were back to ignoring him. Quiet giggling could be heard from the other end of the galley, and Sanji, defeated, rested his forehead against the cool wood, heaving a deep sigh and closing his eyes. Why was he so… depressed, you ask? Oh, no reason. Absolutely no reason at all. Unless, of course, you count high class torture on your list of reasons for depression. If having your only two women nakama trick you into getting locked into your own galley, pull out hidden _crates_ of magazines, newspapers, and all other sorts of bits and pieces of advertising needed to discuss, at length, your upcoming _wedding_ to your very _male lover_ and then trot out any and all possible wedding ceremony ideas to you that make you want to curl up into a ball and pretend very _very_ hard that the youngest member of your crew _isn't_ _sitting_ _right outside the door_ in his human form, making it impossible for you to escape, doesn't count as a reason, then _of_ _course_ Sanji doesn't have a reason for his depression.

Oy.

Shaking his head madly back and forth, he slammed his hands up over his ears and squinched his eyes shut tight. They did _not_ just mention a dress, nor the possibility of having one that _complimented his eyes._

No way. Not in a million years.

The only thing that could _possibly_ make this even _worse,_ would be –

Faintly, from outside the galley door, Sanji could hear Zoro's distinct rumble and Chopper's quiet, high-pitched reply.

Oh, shit.

– that. Whipping around at the sound of the door opening, Sanji's wild eyes met Zoro's calming green. The swordsman had one eyebrow cocked curiously, looking between Sanji and the women, back to Sanji, then back to the _mound_ of 'reference material' piled impossibly high on the tabletop.

"We're docked." Was all he said, before spinning on his heel and pacing across the deck, presumably to head into port. Gaping after him, Sanji sat in stunned anger. How _dare_ that irrepressible lump just up and _leave him stranded _in the lion's den, while he went out to drink himself into a stupor?

That's it. Zoro was _so_ dead.

… As soon as Sanji escaped, of course.


	20. Tora

**Author: **KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating: **PG

**Word Count:** 1129

**A/N: **Having a pet has somewhat… hampered their daily lives. Luffy likes it though.

--

Tora

--

Sanji pushed the kitten, recently dubbed Tora by their exuberant captain, off of the countertop so he could prepare for dinner. For some unknown reason, the young cat had attached itself to him and refused to leave him alone. It – sorry, _he_ as Nami-san insisted – seemingly decided that no one on the crew was worthy of his attentions, except Sanji. However, Zoro… Zoro he seemed to tolerate, for some unknown reason. Whenever the swordsman walked into the room, Tora's eyes were on him instantly, warily regarding him for a few moments before seemingly accepting him and then summarily ignoring him.

Zoro, for his part, could care less about the cat, and ignored him on principle. The only time they ever even acknowledged each other was when Sanji was in the same room. They glared for a few seconds before reaching some sort of unspoken truce, and then ignoring each other again. Though it baffled Sanji, he soon just accepted it as another strange part of life on the Grand Line, and especially of life on this ship.

Tora meowed his protest, but soon calmed when he was only pushed to the edge of the counter instead of entirely onto the floor. Curling into a dark ball, with his tail tucked tightly around his body, he closed his eyes in contentment. His human was busy, as usual, with food preparation and since Tora had already been fed, it was time to nap.

Stirring the pan, Sanji reached over and turned down the heat so it wouldn't burn. Letting the sauce simmer, he brought water to a boil in another pot, readying the vegetables and spices to go into it. Rolling up his sleeves, he pulled over a cutting board and selected one of his chopping knives. Before too long, there was the rhythmic sound of chopping and slicing and the fragrant scent of stew emanating from the galley.

Suddenly the galley door burst open with a loud 'bang!' and ricocheted off of the wall. A blur of black, red, and yellow flew into the kitchen, a ball of trembling excitement and childish glee.

"Tora-chan!!" Luffy cried happily, running directly over to the disgruntled kitten, dangling something in front of his face. "Tora-chan! Look what I found!"

With a grin almost bigger than his face, Luffy shoved a length of string into Tora's face, making him flinch backwards and uncurl from his protective ball. Tora stared cross-eyed at the string for a second or two before focusing on it and reaching up one hesitant paw to bat at it. When Luffy began swinging it back and forth, Tora doubled his efforts to snag it, balancing himself on his other three feet as he swung wildly at it.

Luffy burst into laughter, always holding the string just out of reach. Tora pulled his lean body into a sitting position, leaning forward for leverage and began batting the string in earnest. Luffy dragged it across the countertop, and the kitten shot after it like a bolt, a streak of black and white. Giggling madly, their captain ran out of the galley, Tora chasing after him like a bat out of hell.

Sanji listened to the whooping laughter and high pitched giggles from the younger members of the crew out on the deck, a small smile gracing his features. As two tanned arms wound themselves around his waist, his grin grew.

"Good distraction." He said wryly, acknowledging the other man.

Zoro growled, tightening his hold. "Damn cat." Nosing into Sanji's blonde locks, he sighed contentedly and rested his chin on the cook's shoulder.

"What's the matter?" Sanji asked, turning his head slightly. "It's not like he's competition or anything. No reason to be jealous." He smirked at Zoro.

When Zoro remained quiet, only grunting his reply, Sanji tested the temperature on the stew, turning it down a little more, and then turned in Zoro's arms, looking him in the eye. "Zoro." He prompted, poking the swordsman in the chest.

Zoro kept his eyes down, somewhere between Sanij's collarbone and the center of his chest. His green eyes flickered to Sanji's for a second, and then away again.

"Are you _blushing_?" Sanji suddenly asked, astonished. "Seriously?!" A huge grin broke out on his face.

Zoro's face flushed, and he glared at the blonde. "No!" He denied, even though the red was now even more apparent, even through his tan. "Damn-cook!" He muttered, letting go of the other man and turning to leave.

"Hey, now. C'mon Zoro," Reaching out, Sanji grabbed him by the wrist. "That's not what I meant." A small smile was still visible on the edges of his mouth, but he restrained himself.

Zoro huffed a small breath, before replying. "It's just… creepy, y'know?" Casting a glance at the other man, he continued. "I mean, it's weird to do anything. With him in the room. It's like he's… watching, or something. It's just weird."

Sanji manfully held in his snort, covering his mouth with his free hand. Voyeuristic kitten? Only Zoro. "Zoro, he's just a cat."

Another glare. "I _know_ that, baka! Geez…" Zoro tugged his wrist free and headed to the deck again, muttering under his breath.

"Zo_ro_," Exasperated, the cook reached out and tugged Zoro back by the shoulders, pulling him until they were face to face before resting their foreheads together. Breathing in the other man's scent, he closed his eyes and pulled him even closer, practically melting when Zoro wrapped his arms around him in return.

"He's just, a cat." Sanji smiled into his lover's neck. Lifting his head up, he looked Zoro in the eye. "Granted, he's pretty cute, but he's a kitten. It's practically a requirement." When a slow grin crossed Zoro's features, Sanji cheered inside. Sometimes, getting a stubborn Zoro to see logic was like pulling teeth, but it seemed the swordsman was easily swayed today.

Twining his arms up around Zoro's neck, Sanji pulled the other man into a kiss, running his fingers through short green hair. As he pulled away, he was rewarded with one of Zoro's happy smiles, the kind that showed he was truly happy, and not pretending. Sanji's heart swelled, and he ran his arms down his lover's chest and pushed him away from the counter.

Looking slightly confused, Zoro backed off. The cook turned back to the stove and cranked the heat low enough to keep the stew warm, but not burn it, regardless of how long it went unwatched.

"Now, it seems that we have some free time," Grinning, Sanji spun back toward Zoro. "What do you suggest we do with it?"

Zoro's answering smirk was pure sex as he pulled a laughing Sanji down the hall to their room, and some well deserved down time.


	21. Take a Chance

**Author: **KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating: **PG

**Word Count:** 1681

**A/N:** Someone needed to give them a push in the right direction.

-----

Take a Chance

----

Sanji's laugh rang through the crowded bar, barely reaching his ears over the music. Zoro knew he was staring, but he couldn't help it. Sanji looked beautiful, with his head thrown back and eyes shut, laughing a deep laugh that shook his slim frame. Frowning to himself, the swordsman tore his gaze away and looked into the bottom of his mug, swirling the last swig of rum.

They were not on the run, for once. They'd managed to lose the Marines a ways back, and were docked on a lively island where there were parties in practically every bar. Everyone on the Sunny was quickly immersed in the bustling crowds, flowing to and fro from party to party. They'd arrived around mid-afternoon, and were still frolicking in the streets.

Chopper had volunteered to stay behind on the ship for the watch, and the rest of them split up as soon as they docked. Somehow, Zoro had ended up with the cook (passing by this bar for the fifth time tonight), and they found themselves in the middle of a dance contest, complete with booze and girls clad in practically nothing.

One of said nothings was now hanging off of Sanji's arm, blinking coquettishly and dimpling for all she was worth. Sanji, for his part, swooned and bowed low at the waist, kissing her hand before gently leading her out onto the dance floor. She giggled the entire way, holding one hand up to her mouth as if to stifle her laughter.

Swiveling on his stool, Zoro gripped his mug in one hand and threw back the rest of the rum in one swallow before staring out onto the floor. He told himself he wasn't watching the cook, despite how often his eyes strayed to the couple. It was a slow song, and they were swaying gently back and forth, her hand on his shoulder and one of his around her waist. Zoro glowered and looked away, ordering another drink.

Nami slid onto the stool beside him, ordering a mug for herself. "Zoro, sulking isn't a good look for you, you know."

He glared moodily at her, and gulped down half of his drink. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Nami sighed and straightened on her stool, spinning to face him.

"Honestly, Zoro? You're behaving like a spoiled five year old!" She huffed, "Seriously, when will you two get a clue?"

He barely acknowledged her, grunting into the stained wood of the bar. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Nami laughed, somehow sounding smug and sympathetic at the same time. "Mmhmm," She hummed, "that's why I have no idea that whenever you two are in the same room, you immediately focus on each other. Or how I'm totally wrong when I tell you that you spend so much time training on the deck outside the galley, just so that you can look at him through the porthole while he's cooking. Or that I know he picks fights with you when you're napping so that he can have an excuse to touch you."

She tipped her head back and drained her mug. Zoro's eyes sought out Sanji yet again, and he angrily spun back to the bar. He wasn't that pathetic. He _wasn't_.

Nami's mug hit the bar with a 'thud', and she stood. "If you aren't going to do anything about it, then fine. I will." She leveled him with a satisfied smirk, before – and there was no other word for it – _stalking_ across the dance floor to the cook.

Zoro watched her go, knocking back the last of his drink. He paid the barkeep and got up, striding quickly out of the bar. With any luck, he'd make it back to Sunny before Nami implemented whatever plan she was concocting. One last look over his shoulder showed her draped around the blonde, whispering into Sanji's ear, and his eyes widening before a blush swept across his face. _Devil woman._ Zoro thought, sneering. He pushed the door open and walked into the cool night air.

He was almost out of hearing range of the bar when a familiar baritone reached him, "Zoro! Oi, marimo, wait up!" Growling, he picked up his pace, really not in the mood for the cook. Sanji soon caught up, however. _Damn legs, _Zoro thought, _fucker has such long strides._

Sanji grabbed onto the swordsman's arm to get him to stop, and Zoro angrily shook him off. "Zoro, I need to talk to you."

"Bullshit," Zoro spat, continuing down the street. Sanji stopped behind him, and Zoro could practically see him with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"Fine, be your usual anti-social self. At least I'm not afraid of facing my fears."

Zoro stopped, but didn't turn. "I'm not afraid of anything, shit-cook."

Soft footsteps sounded behind him, but he kept his gaze on the ground. "Yeah, right. If you're so unafraid, then why are you running away?"

"I'm not."

"Oh no? What do you call it then? A 'manly retreat'?"

"No." He growled. A hand landed on Zoro's shoulder, and he ignored it. He stopped walking, and stared over his shoulder at the other man. "Well?"

"Well what?"

Zoro turned to face the cook. "Talk, then." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and leaned back against a nearby building. Their eyes met for a second before Zoro resolutely looked away.

Sanji stepped back and pulled out a new cigarette, placing it between his lips without lighting it. "Nami-swan seems to think there's something between us." He stated, after a short silence.

Zoro scoffed, ignoring the way his heart suddenly decided to beat its way out of his chest. "Well, she's wrong."

The cook tipped his head to the side, hands in his pockets as he stared at Zoro. "Is she?" He asked, softly. His voice was carefully inflection-less, but he couldn't erase all emotion from his face. His jaw was clenched and his eyes down turned.

Zoro glared at his shoes, and silence enveloped the pair. His face began to heat, and he willed it to stop, trying not to say anything. Words clogged his throat, and he pushed them back down before he made a fool of himself. Sneaking a quick peek at Sanji, Zoro saw that the other man was holding himself like someone resigned to their fate; head down, shoulders slumped and posture defeated.

Sanji sighed quietly, plucking the cigarette from his lips and tucking it away in his pocket. He started to turn to head back to the bar.

"Maybe."

Shocked blue eyes flicked up into his, though Zoro looked just as surprised as Sanji felt. _What the hell?!_ The swordsman thought angrily, _Is my mouth just not listening to my brain tonight?_ He shut his eyes and dropped his arms, letting his head fall back against the wall.

"What?" Sanji asked in disbelief.

Zoro sighed. "I said: maybe. She might be right. Possibly." He refused to open his eyes. He _wasn't_ a coward. He wasn't. He just… couldn't see the other man's face right now. That was perfectly normal.

_Dammit._

"Possibly, huh?" Sanji quirked a small smile, stepping closer to Zoro. "Is that all you've got? Nothing more solid than a 'maybe'?"

Zoro just grunted in reply.

Sanji moved even closer, right into the other man's personal space so that they were separated by mere inches. He could feel Zoro's body heat.

Zoro cracked one eye open, just barely enough to see. "Yeah, and? You got a problem with 'maybe'?"

"No, not a _problem_, per se. More like… an interpretation. A suggestion, if you will." He stepped impossibly closer, one leg situating itself in between Zoro's, not quite touching. His breathing was becoming heavier, and his heart felt like it was beating double-time, hammering in his chest. Sanji leaned forward, bracing himself against the wall with his right hand, resisting the almost overwhelming urge to press himself closer to the other man.

Zoro's half-lidded green eyes met his, and the swordsman made no move to push him away.

"Such as?" Zoro asked. His gaze flickered to Sanji's lips, and then back up to his eyes, the movement so fast it could almost have been Sanji's imagination.

Sanji cleared his throat, willing the words out past a sudden lump. "Well, for starters, I thought something like 'yes' would work." He leaned in slowly, giving Zoro plenty of time to end it, if he wanted. God, he hoped not.

"Yes." Zoro whispered, a smile flashing across his face before closing the distance and taking Sanji's mouth in a demanding kiss. He reached up and slid his hands through blonde hair, gripping at the base of Sanji's neck and pulling him even closer. Sanji groaned, tracing his tongue along Zoro's lips, begging for entrance. Zoro's mouth opened and Sanji's tongue slid inside, gliding against Zoro's before mapping his mouth with exquisite care. The other man moaned and tilted his head to deepen the kiss, pushing back against Sanji and giving as good as he got.

Sanji's hands ran up Zoro's sides, gripping at his waist and pushing him back against the wall. He nibbled at Zoro's lips, making the swordsman moan. Zoro ground his hips into Sanji's, making him gasp into the kiss. Zoro smirked, running a hand down Sanji's neck and reveling in his shiver. In return, Sanji's hands snaked down and palmed his ass, squeezing tight enough to make the swordsman jump.

The two men were so preoccupied, they didn't notice that they were being watched. At the door to the bar, Nami held her hand out expectantly to a grumbling Luffy.

Usopp turned to his captain as the rubber boy forked over the correct amount. "Luffy, how did you _lose_ that bet?"

Luffy shrugged, lacing his fingers behind his head. "I figured Zoro'd be the top. Now c'mon, Usopp! They're announcing the winners!" He laughed and looped an arm through the sharpshooter's to drag his crewmate back inside.

Nami counted the belli in her palm and smirked, before following her nakama.


	22. Intrinsic Knowledge

**Author: **KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating: **PG

**Word Count:** 776

**A/N:** Luffy is smarter than he looks. Sequel to Masterpiece (Chapter 18).

--

Intrinsic Knowledge

--

Luffy barged into Usopp's new workshop, the door swinging and banging violently against the wall. "Usopp!" He giggled, grin wide enough to split his face. "You gotta come see this! Franky is the best!"

His voice faded away when the room was revealed to be empty. The raised worktable sat at the other end, with the large letters proclaiming the room as "Usopp's Factory" standing out in stark contrast against the wood of the hull. His eyes quickly canvassing the room, Luffy turned to go look elsewhere when something caught his eye.

It was a corner of the workplace that seemed to be dedicated to Usopp's passion for painting. The sharpshooter rarely showed off his works to the rest of his nakama, and as a result only a few of them even knew it was a hobby. Luffy let the door fall closed and strode over to the easel, gazing across the array of paints and brushes, the empty canvas all ready to go, and landing on the bench beside it. There was a small box left open, with a toolkit next to it reading "charcoal". Curiosity overrode any politeness to not rummage through his friend's things, and Luffy carefully peeked inside.

Usopp had saved all of his drawings and paintings. Every single one. Awed, Luffy pulled out a stack of paper a couple of inches thick, and gently leafed through it. There was a picture of Nami, laughing and sitting on the railing of the Merry, with her legs kicking back and forth. Zoro, smiling indulgently as he nursed a mug of booze. Sanji, a carefree smile on his face as he flipped pancakes and spoke animatedly to a curious Chopper. There was an older one of Kaya, leaning out of her balcony window, attention captured by something out of frame.

A smile worked its way across Luffy's face as he continued to leaf through them. There was one of the three kids, back in Usopp's hometown. One of Luffy stretching out his arms to swing up onto Merry. Princess Vivi, laughing at their antics just after coming aboard. Her duck, Carue, dancing with Luffy and Chopper in front of a fire. Nami, working at her desk on one of her maps of the world. Chopper dancing with glee. Zoro cleaning his katana. Sanji out on deck, smoking a cigarette. The list went on and on, and before long Luffy was immersed, his mind going back to the time and place of each picture as he relived those memories.

When he got to the bottom of the pile, he took a minute to stare. This drawing was different from the others, and not one of Luffy's memories. The others had been full of the crew at their happiest, goofing off with each other and enjoying their journey. This one was slightly different.

It was a charcoal sketch of Zoro and Sanji, leaning against the railing and holding each other close. Usopp had added a bit of color, and Luffy could see that this was done at sunset, somewhere on the Grand Line. Sanji was pulled snug to the swordsman's side, and fit there like a missing puzzle piece. Zoro's strong arms enfolded the cook, protectively shielding him like he was something precious.

Usopp had colored in their hair, Zoro's haramaki and earrings, and Sanji's eye and dark suit. The sunset was also in full color, but the couple paid it no mind. One look told Luffy that it was by no means the center of attention. Someone might look at this painting and see the people as secondary, something added onto the picture to make it complete. They would see the sunset first, and make a note of its beauty. In reality, that wasn't it at all.

His friends were the centerpiece, and this captured them perfectly. It was about how they fit, and what they were to each other. Luffy smiled fondly at the image they created, molding together as one. Usopp had witnessed something rare and beautiful, something anyone else would be hard pressed to find in two such people.

Happiness. Pure happiness.

The look in Zoro's eyes and the expression on Sanji's face spoke volumes, if you knew how to read them.

Luckily, Luffy did.

Placing the sheaf of pictures gently back in the box, Luffy turned and left the workroom, his mind returning to his earlier mission. A grin stole swiftly across his face.

"Usopp! Usopp, where are you?" His voice carried down the hall and out onto the deck. "There's something you've gotta see!" As he walked away, the door swung shut behind him, the room silent and empty once more.


	23. Tantalus

**Author:** KakaIruIsMyWorld

**Rating:** PG13-R

**Word Count: **1389

**A/N: **[My first attempt at almost-smut. Critique very welcome.] Sanji's patience is running out.

--

Tantalus

--

It had been two whole days since they'd had the luxury of being relatively alone, and as a result Sanji hadn't so much as _touched_ Zoro inappropriately. For such a taciturn man, Zoro was surprisingly stubborn about undue exposure to the younger members of the crew (especially Chopper). Thus, the no-touching rule was now in place; in public, anyway, and Sanji'd done his level best to obey. He didn't want to scar the young reindeer in any way either, but enough was enough.

Zoro had been training on the deck all morning, and the midday sun made his tanned skin positively _glisten_. He'd removed everything but his pants, and the sheen of sweat only accentuated his well-toned torso, his lean calves and sturdy thighs.

Sanji's fingers itched to touch.

Tearing his gaze away from the porthole, he took to scrubbing the morning's dishes with ruthless vigor, determinedly ignoring the swordsman and the distraction he represented. His mind churning with plausible scenarios, Sanji quickly finished up and moved to dry his hands.

As he hung the towel back up, a wicked grin spread across his face. It was perfect. Now, to find the right moment…

--

Zoro wiped sweat off of his forehead with a small towel, and dragged it along his arms quickly after. _Damn, it's hot_, he thought wryly, sluicing himself relatively dry.

Moving to put away his weights, Zoro turned his feet toward the inner decks. He moved on autopilot, steadily striding toward the galley where he would hopefully be able to get a nice cold glass of water.

_Depends on what kind of mood the shit-cook is in_, Zoro mused, enjoying the refreshing shade as he stepped out of the sun. _Damn cook has been antsy for a couple days. Moody, too._

Silently shrugging, Zoro took the last couple of steps into the galley, mentally bracing himself for whatever awaited him inside.

When only silence greeted him, Zoro glanced through the galley to find it empty. With no sign of the ever-present blonde, Zoro headed straight for the sink. He pulled a glass from the cupboard and ran the water for a few seconds, letting it cool. Once it was as cold as it was probably going to get, he filled the glass and knocked it back, swallowing all of the cool liquid in several large gulps. He was heedless of the drops that escaped and cascaded down his overheated skin, a soothing balm to his parched throat.

Sighing in satisfaction, Zoro put the glass underneath the flow to fill it again when a familiar pale hand shot out from his right and shut off the water. Turning quickly, he saw a flash of gold as the glass was removed from his hand and placed on the counter before he felt a tug on his elbow, dragging him over to the pantry.

The door slammed shut, and Sanji swiftly kicked a couple barrels of booze in front of it, keeping it closed.

"What the hell?!" Zoro exclaimed, squinting as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim room.

"I'm through waiting, marimo." Sanji's reply was immediate, and imminently closer. Startled, Zoro moved to step back and knocked against large rice bags on the floor. Letting gravity do most of the work he grabbed for Sanji and twisted them as they fell, landing so the blonde was underneath and covered by his body.

"Waiting for wha – _mmph_," Zoro opened his mouth easily to Sanji's questing tongue. He indulged for a few moments, before pulling away. "Sanji, no." He hissed, trying to push away, but the cook was having none of it.

Sanji's legs clamped around Zoro's waist, ankles crossing at his lower back, and _tugged_, causing Zoro to sprawl awkwardly against him. Zoro planted his hands on either side of Sanji's head, holding himself rigid and ignoring the delicious shock of their groins brushing together. Nevertheless, he melted into another kiss, deepening it and moaning when Sanji surged up into him, latching his mouth onto the pulse-point on Zoro's neck.

"Been watching you all day," the blonde groaned, licking a path up behind Zoro's ear and sucking on the sensitive skin he found there. Zoro groaned loudly, resistance melting away and his elbows locking as his eyes closed tightly, breath quickening. "Been wanting to do this, nice and slow," Sanji slid his hands along Zoro's back, one moving to the base of his neck to tangle in his hair, and the other dipping underneath his waistline.

"Wanted to – touch – _ummph_," Zoro turned and fit their mouths together, tongues instantly tangling as Sanji angled their heads just right. Zoro's hands refused to remain idle, and caressed the cook's sides and stomach, running under his shirt.

Sanji's fingers ran along the crease of his ass, prodding gently and finding the small opening. Zoro's breath came in heavy pants, and he buried his face in Sanji's collarbone. Sanji peppered breathless kisses to his face and neck, the tip of his ear, brushing along a temple. One finger slipped inside and Zoro jerked his hips forward violently, moaning urgently.

"Yes – Zoro, God _yes_, I - _nngh_!" They rutted together, short and rough jerks of their hips. The friction was good, but not _enough_. Sanji's hands gripped Zoro's ass, urging them even closer and tugging Zoro's pants down, bunching them around his knees.

Kissing messily, they fumbled in the dark as knowing hands traversing well-worn paths with ease. Before too long, they were both breathless and desperately close, and Zoro wrapped a warm, calloused hand around Sanji's cock and gave it a few tight pulls, twisting his wrist at the tip and rubbing his thumb over the slit.

Sanji _keened_, deep in his throat and came, streaks of pearly-white come landing across Zoro's chest and pants, and dripping through his fingers. Zoro merely grunted and kissed Sanji deeper, pressing even closer to the other man, his cock hard and heavy against Sanji's stomach.

Zoro gave him only a few moments to recover, and began to take care of himself. He jerked roughly, without finesse, rushing to the edge. He groaned on each pull, his hand moving faster and faster as he neared completion. Sanji roused himself and swatted his hand away, shimmying down the rice bags to place himself directly under Zoro. He gripped his lover's hips and pulled him down, Zoro's cock sliding directly down his throat.

With a guttural moan, Zoro threw his head back, pushing a hand through Sanji's hair and gripping tight, holding him there. Sanji swallowed him deeper, letting him thrust shallowly, the warm, wet, _heat_ of Sanji's mouth bringing him quickly to the end. Pulling back, the cook licked away beading pre-come and then suckled the head, swirling his tongue along the grooves, before taking it almost all the way down again.

Zoro tugged urgently on his hair, his breaths coming in heavy pants. "Sanji – _enh_ – close – "

Sanji hummed, then _sucked_ and Zoro was lost. He came in long spurts, shooting down Sanji's throat and filling his mouth. Sanji swallowed quickly once, twice, before pulling off the now over-sensitized flesh with a few last licks. Some excess dribbled down his chin, and Zoro whimpered, leaning in and licking it off. Sanji caught his mouth in a slow kiss, sharing his taste between them. Zoro slumped against him, half-heartedly tugging his pants up and letting his full weight pin Sanji down as they traded soft kisses back and forth.

A few silent minutes went by, as their breathing returned to normal. Zoro is the first to break the calm.

"We should move," he mumbles into Sanji's shirt, though it comes out sounding more like a question. Sanji hums noncommittally, his supposed agreement belied by his arms coming around Zoro to hold him close. The swordsman makes no move to leave either, and instead settles himself more comfortably against the other man with a soft noise of content. He maneuvers his head so his face rests in the crook of Sanji's neck, exhaling quietly. Before too long, snores echo around the small room, bringing a fond smile to Sanji's face.

They have a few minutes, at least, before they're needed elsewhere. There's time enough for this.

Breathing deeply, Sanji closes his eyes and lets sleep overtake him.


End file.
